Nostalgia is a powerful thing. NASCAR knows that, which is why they are really leaning into the glory days of the sport through something called “NASCAR Classic.” Though they occasionally do a cool deep dive into the history of professional stock car racing, where they are really thriving is just posting old, HD footage with absolutely no commentary or music added.
It’s beautiful enough to bring a tear to your eye.
And I’m guessing it’s one of the many steps that NASCAR is taking to bring back the fans that they might have pushed away with recent gimmicks rolled out to try and attract new viewers. NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell recently sat down with ESPN’s Ryan McGee at the SBJ National Sports Forum, where he admitted that the sport had alienated its fanbase in an attempt to attract new viewers:
“We deserted our fan base. So now what you’re seeing us do is … yes, we can introduce the sport to new fans, but here’s how we got here…
We probably chased a few too many things trying to be like other sports. We assumed that our hardcore fans would stay with us and newer fans would jump in. … Instead of new fans coming in, they did not understand it.”
Sometimes to move forward, you have to go back.
Not only is NASCAR retreating back to the old points system way of doing things… they are using NASCAR Classics to remind fans of the beauty of the sport’s yesteryear. One of the latest videos that was posted was from the 2001 Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, and it’s really gotten the attention of the NASCAR community:
Take me back.
The sounds, the colors, the time… NASCAR in the 2000s was truly a beautiful thing. And fans online that have now seen the video are now yearning for the “good old days” of NASCAR:
I knew the cars were brighter than tv could do justice to, even back then, but seeing them again in HD, man those colors just popped. I miss the days of actual paint jobs and shined cars. Vinyl just can’t replicate it.
— Ryan C (@rcupp28) March 6, 2026
Something about that era of cars was awesome.
— NoMeasurements (@NoMeasurements1) March 6, 2026
This made me feel so old and so young at the same time
— “Dirty” Patrick Mysterio (@TeamBubba23) March 6, 2026
Bring all of this back
— Cassidy Ace (@cassidyace89) March 6, 2026
The best era of @NASCAR. The cars were absolutely beautiful. The racing was great. There were only two road courses on the schedule. I miss this @NASCAR .
— Trent adams (@Tadams1707) March 6, 2026
To quote the great Andy Bernard (from The Office), “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.”
Here’s the full, 15-minute video in case you wanted to check it out and have yourself a day. It pairs perfectly with a beer in hand, in case you were wondering:
“From the thunder of the field taking the green flag to the candid, unfiltered moments on the grid and in victory lane, witness the atmosphere that surrounded stars like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart. With no narration and no commentary, Sights and Sounds lets the natural energy of the race – the engines, the crowd, and the speed – tell the story.”
